How Many Days Does It Take to Grow Hot Peppers?

How much fire a hot pepper brings to the table depends on how many capsaicinoid-filled sacs it contains.

If you know what a Scoville scale is, you're probably a connoisseur of hot peppers (Capsicum spp.), also known as chili peppers. Hot peppers, which range from mild to scorching on the Scoville scale, need most of the summer to achieve their mature color and hottest bite. Because of this requirement, U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 to 10 are ideal for growing these heat-loving vegetables. The seed packet or seedling tag tells you how many days it will take for your chosen variety to mature. The minimum time is generally 60 days, but some types can take twice that time to reach maturity.

Definition

The number of days that are given for each hot pepper variety refers to the period between the sowing and the first harvesting of the peppers. If you sow your own seeds, either indoors or by direct-seeding into the garden, it's easy to keep track of how old the peppers are. If you buy seedlings from a nursery, however, you'll have to estimate. Hot pepper seedlings that are ready for transplanting into the garden are likely to be at least 45 days old. Some peppers have an indicated range on the seed or seedling information. That's because a few types, such as "Poblano" and "Habanero" peppers, are traditionally eaten in both the young, green stage and and ripe, orange/red stage.

Short and Medium Peppers

Hot pepper shapes include small, stubby types to medium-length, cylindrical varieties. Many of these small to medium, thicker peppers are also high on the Scoville scale. One exception is the fairly mild cylindrical pepper known as "Poblano" during the green phase (65 days) and "Ancho" during the red phase (up to 100 days). "Serrano" (70 days), "Jalapeno" (72 days); "Louisiana Hots" (69 days), "Pretty Hot Purple" (80 days), "Tabasco" (80 days), "Thai Hot" (75 days) and "Habanero" (75 to 100 days) all register as hot to extremely hot.

Planting Tips

Hot peppers can be direct-seeded into the garden or transplanted as seedlings at least two weeks after the last frost date, when air temperatures are at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Choose a sunny, well-drained garden bed, and grow peppers in rows at least 24 inches apart, with at least 18 inches between plants. Whether starting indoors or in the garden, sow the seeds at a depth of 1/2 inch.